the greenest grass around

Fruits of the Spirit: Part 3

We will take an in-depth look at each “fruit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We will look at what they are, what did Paul mean, examples in the Bible and for your life, and possibly why Paul included them in this list of attributes.

Galatians 5: 22-23

Love, Joy, and Peace

Love Because God is love. 1 John 4: 7-21 discusses God being love and that loving one another is how we show God in our lives to others. It is a great passage to remind ourselves of the unselfish love of God and what we should be striving for in our lives.

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Following that God is love we see verses like 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 above reminding us that no matter what we do, if we do not do it with love, it is nothing.

We are surrounded by verses about God’s love for us and how we should love others, so it is no wonder Paul put Love at the top of the list. But what about the others?

Joy, in the Biblical sense, is quite different than what you and I might think. According to Bible Project, Joy is more than a feeling but a sense of “peace” from the choice we make in trusting in God even in hard times. Charles Elliott describes joy as a much deeper root than mere natural cheerfulness of temper and is rather the unfailing brightness and equanimity (mental calmness, composure, and even temper) which proceeds from calm and settled principles animated by God himself. Basically, Joy does not equal happiness.

I think of Joy, in the Biblical sense, as someone who can still be positive and “joyful” during trials and temptations because they know their Joy comes in the morning, Psalm 30:5. Another example from Psalms 94 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Again, trusting in God’s promises.

This is not a Joy that we think of with an over-perky morning person singing as they walk (but it could look like that) but a deep, spiritual essence of trusting in the Lord. These are people who are facing or have in the past been up against mountain-size problems or circumstances but remained, for lack of a better term, “joyful.”

Paul singing in prison, the person you know who is diagnosed with a terminal disease but still finds joy in life, a person suffering but still praises and is thankful, and so many other examples.

Another verse that comes to mind about joy can be found in 2 Corinthians. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. (2 Corinthians 8:1-2) Here you have a community that is basically destitute, but Paul described them as having “an abundance of joy.”

In an article by David Mathis called “Joy is Not Optional, he states, “Some hear possibilities in the commands of joy; others hear problems. And both responses are justified. We are sinners, spiritually dead by nature. Often we are emotionally inconsistent and spiritually dull. Even in Christ, we daily ride the undulating roller coaster from lethargic hearts to quickened spirits, then back into dryness again. Hearing that joy is not optional can feel fraught with more condemnation than possibilities to such sluggish and self-aware people. It can be a new weight to carry on already over-burdened shoulders.”

Wow, there are so many things I could discuss here, but I want to stick with the simple fact that NO, you will not be joyful every day. There will be times when you are struggling, and that is okay. We are human and need God to restore us. So please, make no mistake, Joy is a necessary Fruit of the Spirit, but I do not believe you can show each fruit each day, all day, forever. Give yourself grace and rely on God.

So why did Joy make the list? I think it is because we, as Christians, are a shining example of God’s love. If we go through life full of sorrow or lackluster, why would others want to join us? At the end of the day, God is enough, God is bigger than any problem we may have, and we are the beacon that shines on others.

Peace goes hand in hand with joy. Philippians 4:6-7 says,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is writing this letter from prison. He realizes that this is not a good place to be, but he is truly living his life for the Kingdom of God and has a peace that surpasses all understanding. This is a great example of peace.

Now there are a few different ways we can look at Peace; 1. Being peaceful with one another, 2. Being a peacemaker, and 3. Having a sense of peace. I believe all three are important to Peace in the fruit of the spirit basket.

1. Being peaceful with one another
   • I don’t know about you, but this one is hard for me. I have the temperament of a rhino (so I have been told). Needless to say, I am not the one to be giving this speech. But I have struggled with it, and God has brought this to my attention. Being peaceful with one another is more about self-control and choice. Yes, my initial gut reaction to something that makes me angry is to let them know (with yelling or actions), but when you are aware of your actions, you can be proactive and not reactive with them. You can think through the best way to calmly get your point across and not have a complete meltdown. The Biblical story this reminds me of is Jacob and Esau, which can be found in Genesis. In case you do not know the story, here is a quick summary;
     • Jacob and Esau were twins, with Esau being “technically” born first. Jacob tricks his brother into giving up his birthright (first-born inheritance) and later tricks his aging father into giving him the firstborn blessing (which, again, is a big deal). So you can see why Esau said he was going to kill Jacob, and Jacob ran away.
   • You might say, I do not see much peace in that story, but wait. Many years later, Jacob came home terrified of his brother, and rightly so. Long story short, his brother had forgiven him and welcomed him with open arms.
   • Being peaceful with another is a choice we make. God calls us to be peaceful and love one another. We use the “golden rule” a lot. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but God wants us to go a step further and live peacefully, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.
2. Being a peacemaker
   • In 1 Samuel 25, there is a great example of being a peacemaker. Being a peacemaker is a good quality to have, and thankfully, everyone has different skills. Having some friends and co-workers who are peacekeepers have helped me a few times.
   • Here is a summary of 1 Samuel 25 when David was running from Saul. He sent some of his men to ask a landowner, Nabal, to share food and supplies. Nabal said no and insulted David, who told his men to get ready to fight. But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, was a peacemaker. She took David’s supplies and food and asked him not to attack Nabal in revenge. David thanked her for stopping the attack and keeping the peace! 
   • Thankfully, David and his men did not attack. Many people would have been killed, and we would not have this example of how a peacemaker changed everything with kindness.
   • Being a peacemaker can be as simple as keeping thoughts to yourself, wording things differently, providing calm advice to others, and moving all the way to forgive others.
3. Having a sense of peace
   • This peace goes hand and hand with Joy. This is a sense of peace that God promises you during those hard times in life. This is the peace Paul had when he was in prison facing punishment.
   • The peace of God is different from the peace of the world. Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict; it is taking action to restore. It’s more than a state of inner tranquility; it’s a state of wholeness and completeness. Biblical peace is not something you can just snap your fingers and find; it is a fruit of the Spirit. God is our source of peace. Peace is something we have to pray for. John 14:27 states, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” God’s peace, he gives us. Notice Jesus says it is not the same peace you think of in this world. It is a spiritual peace. The Bible talks about peace 329 times. God knows that this world, trials, anxiety, and so many other things eat at our peace each day. The easiest way for the devil to win is for him to attack us with these worldly things because, little by little, it will chip away at our peace. This is why God reminds us in Philippians 4.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Love, joy, and peace appear to go together. It shows our relationship with God. When we spend time with God, we are full of love, heavenly joy, and peace. We strive to be more like Jesus and less like this world. But Love, Joy, and Peace are Christian attributes our world desperately needs to see. I hope you will join me next time as we take a closer look at patience, kindness, and goodness.